Insider reveals Verstappen mastered Hamilton in key aspect to take the 2021 F1 crown
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A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
In 2021, when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went head-to-head for the World Championship, mentality became as decisive as outright speed, as the Dutchman's former performance engineer Bradley Scanes reveals.
Formula 1 is a sport defined by fine margins on track, but just as often by the mental games played off it. Drivers know that unsettling a rival, even in the smallest way, can bring a competitive edge.
According to his former performance engineer, Bradley Scanes, Verstappen learned to flip Hamilton’s own habits back on him.
Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Scanes recalled how Hamilton always took his time in the cool-down room after qualifying or a race.
“One of the funniest things would be the time it would take to get ready,” Scanes said.
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“Lewis would always take a long time to get ready. He’d want to change fully out of his kit and get his hair done, put his own clothes on, whereas Max would just change his suit or go as he is to the press conference.”
Verstappen flips power trip game on Hamilton
But Verstappen adapted.
“As it progressed, we started changing every part of the kit, and you could just see Max taking his time.
"We started changing the full kit, and the flip was Max really started to take his time, so Lewis had to wait for him.
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"It was just a power trip thing to say ‘We’re not waiting for you anymore, the baton has been passed and we’re taking over from here’.
A small gesture, but a big statement. And with Verstappen emerging as champion that year, perhaps the psychological win was just as important as the one on track.
Hamilton, already a seven-time world champion, had mastered both the psychological and performance sides of the sport.
Verstappen, still chasing his first title, needed to prove he could beat the best, and he found a surprisingly subtle way to get under Hamilton’s skin.
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